1. Technical Field
The present invention relates in general to improved performance and efficiency in grid environments and in particular to a method for controlling use of independent external resources by requesting grid management systems. Still more particularly, the present invention relates to controlling dispatch, metering use, and monitoring connectivity of a selection of independent external resources made accessible to a particular requesting grid management system.
2. Description of the Related Art
Ever since the first connection was made between two computer systems, new ways of transferring data, resources, and other information between two computer systems via a connection continue to develop. In typical network architectures, when two computer systems are exchanging data via a connection, one of the computer systems is considered a client sending requests and the other is considered a server processing the requests and returning results. In an effort to increase the speed at which requests are handled, server systems continue to expand in size and speed. Further, in an effort to handle peak periods when multiple requests are arriving every second, server systems are often joined together as a group and requests are distributed among the grouped servers. Multiple methods of grouping servers have developed such as clustering, multi-system shared data (sysplex) environments, and enterprise systems. With a cluster of servers, one server is typically designated to manage distribution of incoming requests and outgoing responses. The other servers typically operate in parallel to handle the distributed requests from clients. Thus, one of multiple servers in a cluster may service a client request without the client detecting that a cluster of servers is processing the request.
Typically, servers or groups of servers operate on a particular network platform, such as Unix or some variation of Unix, and provide a hosting environment for running applications. Each network platform may provide functions ranging from database integration, clustering services, and security to workload management and problem determination. Each network platform typically offers different implementations, semantic behaviors, and application programming interfaces (APIs).
Merely grouping servers together to expand processing power, however, is a limited method of improving efficiency of response times in a network. Thus, increasingly, within a company network, rather than just grouping servers, servers and groups of server systems are organized as distributed resources. There is an increased effort to collaborate, share data, share cycles, and improve other modes of interaction among servers within a company network and outside the company network. Further, there is an increased effort to outsource nonessential elements from one company network to that of a service provider network. Moreover, there is a movement to coordinate resource sharing between resources that are not subject to the same management system, but still address issues of security, policy, payment, and membership. For example, resources on an individual's desktop are not typically subject to the same management system as resources of a company server cluster. Even different administrative groups within a company network may implement distinct management systems.
The problems with decentralizing the resources available from servers and other computing systems operating on different network platforms, located in different regions, with different security protocols and each controlled by a different management system, has led to the development of Grid technologies using open standards for operating a grid environment. Grid environments support the sharing and coordinated use of diverse resources in dynamic, distributed, virtual organizations. A virtual organization is created within a grid environment when a selection of resources, from geographically distributed systems operated by different organizations with differing policies and management systems, is organized to handle a job request.
A problem encountered in most network systems, whether organized in clusters or grids, is how to handle requests during peak usage times. One solution for handling requests during peak usage is to register sufficient resources with the resource manager of the cluster or grid so that the network can access sufficient resources to handle predicted peak usage. This solution helps to ensure maintenance of performance standards, however, it may also be cost ineffective to purchase resources that are only used for short bursts of time. Another solution for handling requests during peak usage is to register a pool of reserve or on-demand resources to the resource manager so that the network can access these reserved resources only during peak usage times and may pay only for use of the reserved resources. While both of these solutions provide methods of maintaining performance during peak usage, both are limited in that the pool of additional resources are registered as on reserve with the resource manager of a particular resource manager.
In view of the foregoing, it would be advantageous to provide a method, system, and program for controlling use of independent external resources by multiple requesting grid resource managers. In particular, it would be advantageous to control external resources available in a resource pool independent of a requesting grid resource manager. Further, it would be advantageous to provide a method, system, and program for dispatching independent external resources among multiple requesting grids, metering the use of independent external resources by multiple requesting grids, and polling the external resources to ensure connectivity to the multiple requesting grids.